You Changed My Life
by pika.booo
Summary: Elizabeth is living a normal life with friends and crushes. Well, maybe a bit too normal. All she wants to do is travel and see the world or start an adventure as her family calls it. This was something she was able to do before her parents died. Now that they're gone, she has to attend school and her adventures have come to an end. Or has it?
1. Chapter 1: After School

**A/N: Well, I've decided that I'm going to revamp all of my fanfictions. Since this was my very first one, this obviously will be edited first xD**

**I've edited this whole story, but I'm editing AGAIN, so the process of revamping and updating... Well, let's just say it might take a while.**

**But I hope you enjoy the story! :D**

**Disclaimer: This fanfic is based off of the game, Princess Debut. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: After School<strong>

"Every middle school girl has _got _to have a crush!" my friend, Catherine, exclaimed. "I have a crush on Kyle…." She put a finger to her lip to try to hide her giggle, but failed.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "No surprise…. _Every_ other girl I know has a crush on the basketball star because, oh, you know, he's 'perfect.'" I quoted the word with my fingers.

We continued on our long walk home. The sun was up and the breeze was cool and pleasant with a few wispy clouds in the sky. It was that time of day where everything seemed calm and relaxed. But no, it was everything _but_ that because Catherine was determined on getting the name of my crush, which in fact, didn't exist. I didn't like anyone. But did she believe that? Nope.

"Okay, back to your crush?" Catherine asked in an annoying tone.

"If you know someone who's 5'1", can sing _and _dance, and has the name Daehyun, then that's when you can ask me that." I was really irritated with her persistence.

"Oh shush, I'm talking about guys at _school._"

I frowned. "No thanks."

"C'mon, humor me!"

I shook my head again, but said nothing.

"What about…Keith? He's really smart and I heard he was the only one who got 100% on that hard history test we had the other day…"

_Did she even hear me?_ I thought, but I replied anyway. "Really?"

She nodded her head. "So is it him?"

"Keith's too quiet. If I liked someone, they have to be fun and adventurous," I answered.

"Oh." She paused. "Are you sure you don't like Kyle?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.

I sighed. "Fine…. I guess he's kinda cute, but other than that, no."

Catherine grinned in triumph. "Next…" She put her hands on her hips and she scrunched her nose as she thought.

"Who else?" I asked, humoring her.

"Oh yeah! What about the old man?" She laughed at the mention of the name.

"I'm not going to answer to that." I crossed my arms and turned my head away. It was annoying how she referred to my childhood friend as "the old man." Catherine had given him the nickname because of his silver-grey hair.

"Fine…" she groaned. "What about Lucas?"

I smiled at her. "Much better…."

"That doesn't answer my question. What do you think of him? Childhood friends, that's pretty romantic."

I pursed my lips. "Well, I don't know…. But I _do _know he has absolutely no sense of direction."

"What about Leon? He's nice and he waters the class flowers every day. If you're into guys like that..." She paused to fiddle with her school uniform.

"He's nice and all, but I think it's best if we stay friends." He had asked me out a couple of times so I knew he liked me. To me, Leon was more like a brother….

"He's actually a bit too…brotherly…" Catherine muttered as if she read my thoughts. "Anyway, it's really obvious Victor likes you. I bet that's a no, too."

"Yup," I replied, giving her half of my attention.

"You like him?" she asked in astonishment. "He's such a kid! And a joker…"

"No! I meant yes to not liking him," I answered simply, brushing off her surprise.

"Oh…" she mumbled, suddenly deflated.

We had arrived at my house, so I pulled my house key out of my pocket and started walking up the driveway.

"WAIT!" she screamed suddenly.

I whirled around, shocked. "The heck…. What is it?"

"What about Carlos?" Another ridiculous option, courtesy of Catherine.

I made a face. "No way! One minute, he's saying I'm "the one", then the next thing you know, he's flirting with another group of girls," I said with distaste.

Her eyebrows knit together again, then she shouted, "Well, see you tomorrow!"

"W-Wait a second, Catherine," I said suddenly.

She turned around and looked at me curiously.

"Do you ever think that my life will get any more exciting than this?" I asked.

She tilted her head to the side a little. "What do you mean?"

I walked back down to the sidewalk. "I'm tired…. I'm tired of school and walking home and just talking about crushes and guys like every other girl probably does. I know I said that I could wait for my adventures, but…." I faltered.

_My parents and I were those types of families that did a lot together. Traveling were my parent's passion, so naturally, we did that often. _

"_Lizzybell, where do you want to go?"_

"_Go?" I tilted my head, not understanding what my mother meant. _

_My mom smiled at me. "Traveling, honey. Where do you want to travel next?"_

_I couldn't exactly speak correctly. I was five. "Twal…?" I asked, trying to pronounce the word 'travel'. "Adwentoys…?" It was one of the only words that was comprehensible. _

_She laughed. "Adventures?" She paused. "Adventures…. We'll call them adventures, Lizzybell."_

_The day to choose where I wanted to go never came. The both of them died in a car accident. I've never_ _traveled since._

Catherine's face turned a little sympathetic. "Elizabeth…. You'll get your adventure. Don't worry." She smiled and squeezed my hands reassuringly. "For all you know, it might come to _you _instead of _you _going to _it._"

I smiled a little. "Thanks... Bye, Catherine."

She waved and ran across the street, after looking both ways cautiously.

I hobbled upstairs to my bedroom and plopped my school bag onto the floor. I fell onto the quilted bed with a sigh. _Could Catherine be right? How can an adventure come to me? I don't get it…. _

I shook the thought off and headed towards my wardrobe to change out of my school uniform. When I pulled open the doors, two unidentifiable objects flew out at me. I screamed and backed away instantly, then the two things fell to the floor, right at my feet.

"Wh-What?" I stumbled backwards and luckily, my bed saved me from falling. I stared at my closet, fear making every part of me go stiff. What were once hangers of clothes was now a swirling, violet vortex with an odd-looking star in the center. The whole thing looked like one of those optical illusion pictures that made your head hurt.

Feeling suddenly brave, I peered over the edge of my bed and a short gasp left my mouth when I saw someone who looked _exactly _like me!

I couldn't pull my eyes away from the girl, even when she stood up. The look-alike brushed her skirt lightly. "What a rough journey..." she grumbled and adjusted the tiara that was on her head.

I stared at her, wide-eyed with my mouth open. _That's not…me. What…. What?!_

The girl wore a fluffy, pink dress with what seemed to be a lacey skirt underneath. There was a series of ribbons and even more frilly cloth around her chest. Her collar covered her entire neck, and yet another red, ribbon adorned her chest. Her light brown hair—the exact color of _my _hair—was put up into a high ponytail and placed atop her head was a sparkly tiara with tiny emerald jewels occupying the tiny crevices in between. It matched her big, bright green eyes.

Then there was another being with her. Only it wasn't human, it was a flying mouse! Or what looked like one…. It looked more like a stuffed animal since its ears and its head were significantly bigger than its body or any of its limbs. To make look more so like a child's toy, it wore a red cape with gold lining around its neck and pink glasses that fit perfectly around its humongous, jade eyes. It was holding a golden staff with what seemed to be a cheese on the top. Once it picked itself off the floor, it flew straight for me!

With a shriek, I grabbed a pillow and buried my face in it to keep the creature from hitting me. I then heard shuffling and something tugged at the pillow in my hands. Reluctantly, I let it fall into my lap and I stared at the other "me" with a frightened expression.

"Are you alright?" she asked me politely. "Sorry Kip scared you. He is such a dope sometimes! He probably thought you were me."

My mouth dropped open again. "D-Don't say anything! It freaks me out how you sound exactly like me! How can you be me when _I'm_ me?! Who or what are you?!"

"Calm down, please…."

"How can I calm down?! You came out of my closet and you and I look and talk the same and now this Kip thing is a dope?! What's a Kip?!"

The little mouse thing turned around. "I'm no dope!" he squeaked angrily.

I gestured at the mouse. "Oh, and now it talks?"

The other "me" ignored the mouse's shrill shrieks at the mention of being referred to as an "it" . "This mouse is Kip."

"Wh—What? Well, who _are _you?"

At the same time, she asked me, "What is your name?"

I paused, expecting her to answer _my _question, but she made no notion to do so. I gave her a funny stare and answered with some reluctance, "Elizabeth."

"You _are _the me in this world!" she exclaimed and put a dainty finger to her chin in realization.

A small cough came from behind my clone. "Ahem! Forgot about me, Princess!"

I raised an eyebrow. _Princess? _ I examined my doppelganger and did a once-over on her dress. _Princess indeed…._

"Sorry, Kip. I would like to—"

"Hi! My name is Kip Hamoon Stallon the 777th!" Kip shouted, interrupting the "Princess".

I looked at him, bewildered. "777th?"

He grinned, seeming very proud with this. "Would you like me to tell you the story?"

"It will take you _forever_ to tell her that story..." she said quietly.

"This world? What were you talking about?" I recalled from earlier.

The so-called princess sat down next to me and began explaining. "It is a lot like what you call…parallel worlds. My world, which is called the Flower Kingdom, is right beyond your wardrobe."

"So your world is right past my closet…?" I asked, not believing a thing she was saying.

"Yes," she answered simply. "My kingdom is hosting its annual ball in Saint-Lyon. Princes and princesses come from all over the world to attend this one ball. The king, my father, has requested me that I take part in this celebration. But to do so…I have to partner up with one of the princes that isn't of my continent."

"Annual ball?" I felt as if my head were spinning. _This sounds so unreal…. It's _exactly _like a fairytale!_

The Princess replied, "Yes, a ball! Dancing, _ballroom_ dancing."

"So…why are you here?" I asked.

She nervously began fiddling with her fingers. "Kip and I…. We…traveled to this parallel world because…um…"

"SHE WANTS TO SWITCH PLACES WITH YOU!" Kip butted in with a loud shriek. With a bewildered flail of her arms, the Princess grabbed Kip and covered his mouth with a hand. She turned to me, looking fearful, but I had already heard.

I ignored Kip completely as he struggled in the girl's hands. I wasn't sure what to make of what Kip had just said. Should I be upset? "What…do you mean?"

My princess twin gave me a sad smile. "Since we look alike, I just thought that—"

"I can fill in for you," I interrupted without a second thought. "But why?" I scooted a little closer to her.

After finally releasing Kip, she cleared her throat, indicating that she was going to start explaining again. "I'm no good for dancing. I have tried and tried, but whatever I do, I can't. It would pain me to disappoint my father. When Kip told me about the portal and about you, I…I thought you…. Will you take my place as Princess Elizabeth in my world?" She smiled sheepishly.

I blinked a few times. _It might come to _you_ instead of _you_ going to _it, I could hear Catherine say in my head. Was this the adventure I had sought for so long? Was this the chance to finally escape the boring, normal life I lived? And to a fairytale world with magic and talking creatures? How could I deny myself of this?

I nodded my head vigorously and I found myself smiling. "Yes!"

Her entire face lit up and she gave me an unexpected hug. "A thousand thank you's for this!"

I laughed nervously, feeling a little awkward, and pulled away. "Y-You're welcome…."

"Kip." The Princess made a small nod towards him.

He flew over to me both of his tiny paws grabbed onto my thumb, gently pulling on it as if to help me up. "Follow me." He began leading me towards the vortex.

Now that I was standing right in front of it, I noticed that the vortex was swirling faster than I had thought it was earlier. By the looks of it, it seemed like I would be violently sucked in and tossed around until I arrived…wherever I was going. But I didn't feel any force pulling me in, not even a little breeze.

"It will be okay," the Princess said behind me as if she could read my mind.

"Wait." I turned to my doppelganger. "You're a student now. You're _me_. So please wear—" I looked at her sparkly pink dress full of frilly lace and ribbons. "_Modern_ clothes. They're in the drawers and…the wardrobe."

She smiled and all I could do was hope she understood what I meant. "Take care of her, Kip."

Kip motioned for me to follow him into the vortex. I sighed and took one last look into my room. _This is it, Elizabeth. Adventures, here I come. _My chest swelled as I smiled at the thought. After taking a small step into the vortex, my vision began to blur.

"Good luck!" the Princess called after me. That was the last thing I heard her say before everything went black.

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><p><strong>AN: And that's it! Hope it made a good first impression x3 **

**You know, reviews and favorites are always appreciated. Thanks guys!**

**Until then, farewell!**

**~Elizabeth**


	2. Chapter 2: Just the Beginning

**A/N: The edited, but still short, Chap. 2! Liking the story so far? I hope I'm not confusing anyone with all this. .**

**Enjoy reading! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Debut**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Just the Beginning<strong>

I dared myself to open my eyes. All I could see were tiny white stars swimming around in the navy blue swirls that were continuously spinning. It was giving me a headache…. My body didn't feel heavy. I felt like a speck of dust floating effortlessly through the still air. Was this how it felt like to travel through time and space? To a different world? I shut my eyes in an attempt to ignore the dizziness.

I felt Kip pull a little harder on my thumb. All of a sudden, gravity was finally being forced on me again and I let out a scream when I felt myself falling. Luckily, I had landed on a carpeted ground only a foot down, but my head still hurt when I landed on it.

"Ugh…" I groaned and sat up, rubbing the spot on my head where it hurt most.

"We're home, Princess!" Kip exclaimed.

I lifted my head. The room belonged to a princess alright. There was a rose-colored canopy over the huge bed which had a quilt with different flowers sewn on the different patches, somewhat like mine back home. On the left side of the bed was a white chest of drawers with a golden jewelry box placed nicely in the middle of it. There was a small, pale pink dressed with a purple hairbrush and assorted hair accessories scattered across the counter.

"Wow…" I said, slightly breathless. "This is my room…" When I stood up, I noticed that the rug under my feet felt like silk. I was about to see what was inside the jewelry box, but some insistent knocking stopped me from doing so.

To my surprise, Kip opened the door without difficulty. He was so small, I wasn't sure he would even be able to turn the knob…. The three things that flew into the room were more flying mouse creatures that looked somewhat similar to Kip, yet they didn't at the same time.

There were two male mice, one with blue fur, the other with the same color fur Kip had, except this one had a greying mustache and tiny eyes. The blue mouse had an angry expression on his face, as if he was annoyed with something, his arms crossed over his green tuxedo. The other older male mouse had a navy blue tuxedo and was examining a tiny pocket watch, the chain attached to one of his pockets.

Another one of the creatures—a female with pink fur—came rushing in, probably because she had been left behind. She wore an orange dress that looked unusual against her fur, but it matched her big, shining eyes.

The mouse turned his attention to me, his eyes narrowing even more. "What the blazes are you wearing? Princess, you are an absolute mess!" He looked me over one more time and shook his head.

I gazed down at my school uniform, feeling offended. He was right though. My collar was lopsided and my red bowtie hung loosely down my shirt. My hair was sticking out everywhere due to the travel through the vortex, so I looked like a schoolgirl version of Medusa.

"Princess! You're going to be late for the dinner party if you don't dress up now!" the female mouse squeaked in a reprimanding way.

The grey-furred mouse turned to face Kip. "_You _are her mentor! I expect better of you, Kip Hammon Stallon. We came here on the consent of the king to check if you are ready, and you are not even close to that!"

He flew out of the room in frustration. The other two followed him out, mumbling to themselves, "What's wrong with the Princess?"

"What the heck's wrong with my clothes?" I asked, feeling somewhat irritated.

Kip shut the door. "Well, you _are _a princess. Everyone expects you to wear _proper _clothes. For a lady."

"Yay. Dresses and jewelry. Exciting," I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. If I already hating dressing into my school uniform, I could imagine how much worse if would be putting on something like what the real Princess was wearing….

"Come, Princess! We have to get right down to it. We have a dinner party to attend; we would not want to miss this occasion for anything!" Kip exclaimed while digging through my chest of drawers.

I raised an eyebrow. "Dinner party?"

"Yes," Kip replied, still digging through my drawers. "There will be a huge feast and all the princes from all the kingdoms will be there!" he squeaked. He seemed more excited than I should be about this….

After touching the quilt, I dropped myself down onto the bed with a sigh. "Do I have to?" Believe it or not, I was tired. I had technically just come home from school and I didn't even eat or take a short nap yet…. After discovering that I had a Princess clone that had come from another dimension with her pet mouse, who by the way can speak, and that I had just traveled through a magical portal to a whole other world, you think a girl could get some sleep?

He appeared out of the drawers and put his tiny paws on his hips. "Of course you have to! This is not something to take lightly, Princess. You need to understand how important it is to find a partner for the Ball!" He dove back to the drawers and pulled something out of it. "Here, put this one."

I felt him press something hard and cold against my hand and I sat up to see what he had given me. It was a silver tiara that looked exactly like the one I saw on the Princess's head. I glanced at Kip with a questioning raise of the brow, but he only grinned.

"Go on," he said.

I got off the bed to stand in front of the dresser mirror and hesitantly placed the tiara on my head. A wave of tiny sparkles fell over me and I gasped when I looked down at my hands because they were _glowing_. I watched in awe as the stars shimmered over my entire body, dripping down like water droplets, transforming my school uniform into the very dress the Princess had been wearing. When I lifted my head to look at myself in the mirror, I saw that my hair had been magically put up into a ponytail.

"What?" I peered closer at the mirror to make sure I was still myself. "What just happened?"

"You're wondering how your clothes transformed, correct?" Kip flew onto the top of the dresser and picked up a small brush that I hadn't noticed before. He began brushing his curly fur on the top of his head.

I nodded.

"There's something in this world that you don't have in your world. Magic."

I blinked. _This really _is _like a fairytale…._

"There are things in this world you won't see in your world, but here—"

"I do?"

Kip nodded his head and continued, "The magic in this world is contained in objects too. So that tiara you have on your head has magical properties that can transform your clothing."

"How do you know which dress you change into when you pick up a specific object?" I asked.

"That I don't know. This magical accessories thing goes a long way back. But that's the fun of magic." Kip winked and smiled. "We just call these magical objects accessories because they are in the form of jewelry. For girls anyway…"

"So whatever accessory I put on, my clothes will change to whatever the magic has in it?" I summarized up in a sentence.

Kip nodded. "Yes."

I started itching at my top. It looked comfortable, but when I actually wore it, it was really itchy… "Do I really have to keep this on? Can't I wear another one?"

"We don't have time!" Kip opened the door.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We have to go to the dinner party! We were already late when we first arrived!" Kip shouted frantically.

"But—"

"Hurry! We're going to be late for the party!" Kip shrieked and pushed me out the door.

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, just wanna say something to you readers here...**

**I have two story accounts: one here on FF and one on Wattpad. It is super hard to format my chapters specifically for each website (since I publish both my FF's on two websites) and if any of the different formatting confuses you, I'm working on fixing things. I hope you'll all understand . It's frustrating for me, honestly. **

**If you have any questions concerning the plot, feel free to PM me. Otherwise, remember to favorite and REVIEW! x3**

**Until next time!**

**~Elizabeth**


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner Party in Waltz Castle

**A/N: And here is the revamped chapter to Ch. 3! To readers who have read this before and are re-reading it (probably no one xC), I combined the first Ch. 4 with the old Ch. 3. To new readers, disregard this note xD**

**I hope you guys like this chapter because I added a little of my own touches to it :3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Debut**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Dinner Party in Waltz Castle<strong>

"I can walk on my own, you know…" I said as I grabbed Kip. He was shoving my shoulder every so often and it was getting annoying.

"So…Where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"Waltz Castle. It's the biggest castle in the kingdom so that's where most occasions are held," Kip explained. "You might be able to choose a partner during the feast."

We continued walking down the pebbled ground, tiny flowers bordering the edge of the trail. We finally arrived at our destination. I looked up at the tall castle. No, let me rephrase that. It was _enormous_. It looked like any medieval castle would. The wall was made of grey stone, each block carved carefully to fit perfectly into each other. It seemed as if it wasn't perfect, then it would be obvious and it would ruin the perfect stance of the magnificent castle. There were balconies that ran around the round pillars that probably held the staircase. The roofs of the castle were a beautiful shade of royal blue, fitting of such a place as this. The tips of the pillars had red flags bordered with gold with a symbol in the middle. I'm guessing it was the kingdom's crest or something. That flag thing is such a castle thing though….

I must have been gawking at it, because Kip pushed me through the high doors hurriedly.

"We're here, Elizabeth!" he grinned.

I stared in awe yet again at the designs of the huge castle. If the outside was pretty, the inside of it was indescribably beautiful. The golden walls and pillars were lined with red ribbon and little colorful bunches of flowers were adoring the top of the bright lights which were actually glass lanterns attached to the wall with a huge candle in it. A carving of a heart with wings was carved into the golden walls above each and every entryway and window. The windows had a pale red curtain hanging down from them as not a wrinkle was in place. A huge long table was placed in the middle of everything, many wonderful dishes and different candles covering it. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of chairs lined in front of each and every plate and eating utensil. The doors I walked through, once marble, was now shining gold. Many men and women wore fancy clothing and princes and princesses talked to one another. Everything seemed to grand and orderly, not a thing out of place. The bright lights made everything seem to gleam and glow.

"Yum! That looks delicious! Can I have some?" I stretched my hand out to a steaming platter of some sort of meat with vegetables neatly placed around it. The white and golden tablecloth was covered with many grand dishes, but the chicken was the closest to me.

Kip slapped my hand away. "No! Everyone eats together!"

"But I'm hungry.…" I pouted as my eyes trailed a waiter carrying a steaming dish.

"How about you go around and talk with a few princes? That might get your mind off food!" Kip suggested. "Anyway, I'll be greeting other guests." And with that, he flew away.

I started walking around, looking for any princes. There were so many people here, so I wasn't sure exactly where to start…I made my way against the wall, trying to get a better view of the place. I spotted a prince leaning against the wall, his eyes glued down to a book in his hand.

_Everyone else is with someone. Why isn't he with someone? _I bit my lip. _Maybe we could start a conversation since we weren't with anyone else…._

I walked slowly to the lonely prince and lightly tapped his shoulder.

He turned around and I gasped. The prince looked exactly like Keith, the nerd, from my school! And I wasn't even exaggerating. Everything about him was definitely Keith. His light hair fell over his neck and his long bangs slightly covered his square glasses. And like the Keith I knew, he was carrying a book in his hand.

"Keith?" My voice rose in question and confusion.

He looked puzzled and he closed the leather bound book in his hand shut with a flick of his wrist. "My name is not Keith."

Kip appeared out of nowhere sat down on my shoulder. "That is Keifer Bergman of the Nezzie Empire."

"Oh," I mumbled, but I still didn't completely understand. "Nice to meet you…uh…Keifer."

He gave me an odd stare and pushed up his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "You're quite the odd one aren't you?"

"Uh….Yes…and no? I guess…Sometimes, but…." I stuttered like an idiot.

"Indeed." The prince took his leave with his purple and white tux flying behind him.

He giggled and added, "He's famous for his great intelligence."

I watched as the Keith look-alike walked away with his book in hand. "Why does he look like—"

"There's doubles from your world in this world. Everyone you know has a double in another world. But they may be living a different life, but as you can see, they still have similar personalities," Kip explained.

"Now I get it…." I said slowly in understanding. Keith and Keifer…Even their names sound alike. Just how alike are the doubles to the people I know?

"LOOK! Here comes another prince!" Kip screamed, interrupting me.

I covered my ringing ears. "Ugh! Kip, you screamed in my ear!"

The prince walked up to me. "Hey! You must be the princess around here! I'm Vincent. You can call me Vince for short!"

"Elizabeth." I shook his outstretched hand. Now this prince looked exactly like Victor, the class clown. I guess I had to start getting used to this double thing…Vince's happy expression reminded me of the clown I knew. His blonde bang was swept to the side, part of it covering his big, dark green eyes.

"Glad to meet you, Elizabeth!" His smile was so wide so he obviously _was_glad to meet me.

"This is Prince Vincent Wright. He's from the River Kingdom, am I right?" Kip looked at Vince and he nodded.

"So, Princess Elizabeth? Mind if you show me around sometime? This castle is so big!" Vince commented with a goofy grin.

I smiled and was about to say, "Sure!", but I remembered I wasn't the real princess. I didn't know my way around the castle. My brilliant response was, "Maybe."

"Let me know when you make up your mind!" he happily yelled. Vince skipped away, his sky blue and golden tux bouncing with him.

I laughed as I watched him nearly crash into a waiter. "That went well, I guess," I muttered.

I barely had time to catch my breath when yet another prince walked up to me!

"Hello, mademoiselle." The prince held out a red rose. He had a red tuxedo with a white collar and had shoulder-length, light pink hair that matched his magenta eyes.

"Hey, Carlos," I replied without giving much thought.

Kip cleared his throat. "His name is Cesar Dubois from the Sea Republic."

I blinked. Oops. I had called him the wrong name by accident. Carlos, the school's biggest flirt, was Cesar in this world. The prince getup actually suited his looks….

Cesar's face twisted into a suddenly pained expression. "If only you accepted my love letter request to dance with me…."

_Love letter…? What the heck is he talking about? _

"You wouldn't have to look for one now!" he exclaimed. He dramatically flipped his hair and waked away.

After he was a good distance away, I started laughing. "What was _that_ about?!" I exclaimed through fits of giggles.

He sighed. "Prince Cesar has been trying to win the princess' heart. But she always seems to reject him…His last request from him was that he wanted to be your partner for the annual ball."

"It's not a wonder why she says no…." I muttered as I saw him kissing a girl's hand.

"Hey! Look at that huge crowd over there!" Kip exclaimed. He pointed to a squealing bunch of princesses gathering in a circle as if they were trying to surround something. Their hands were reaching towards the middle and loud squeals and shouts could be heard from them.

I walked to the crowd to get a better look. After finally managing to peek at what they were surrounding, I realized a prince was in there, waving to all the princesses. The prince looked like Kyle from the basketball team!

I squeezed myself into the crowd to make sure I saw correctly. Two girls were pulling him from both sides. One girl had hot pink hair put up in pigtails and wore a red dress with a matching cape that draped around her body. The other had long indigo hair put up in a half ponytail with a purple dress with yellow lace. They seemed to be in an argument….

Kip must have read my expression because he said, "Those two princesses are Lauren—" He pointed to the girl with pink hair. "And Brenda." Then he pointed to the other girl.

Lauren pulled the prince towards her. "Prince Klaus, why don't you come with me to watch an opera?"

"No, no, no!" Brenda pulled him towards her. "Klaus, accompany me to the inner gardens of this castle! Wouldn't you love to do that with me?" she smiled and batted her eyes.

Kip continued with his explanation. "That is Prince Klaus Rosencrans. He came here from the Republic of Lamor. He's quite the popular one…."

The prince wore fancy and expensive looking suit with a red handkerchief around his neck. He had longish brown hair and he had bright green eyes. "I can see that…."

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Kip asked me.

I looked at the huge crowd of princesses and saw how they were pushing each other just to get to him. "Uh…He looks kinda pre-occupied don't you think?" I backed out of the crowd to avoid getting pummeled.

We both stood there, watching as the crazy princesses tried to get a hold on him. After a while, a group of men in black suits ushered the princesses out of the castle. The prince was now being watched under security and he had walked away.

"AWWW! He's gone now!" Kip squeaked in frustration.

I shrugged my shoulders and twisted around. I must have turned around too fast because I collided into someone. The impact pushed the both of us to the ground.

"Ugh!" he groaned as he rubbed his back. "Watch it!"

My head spun a little so I rubbed my head in an attempt to get rid of the dizziness. I blinked a few times and realized who I had bumped into. I gasped when I saw the prince's face. He looked exactly like my childhood friend back at home, Lucas.

"I-I-I'm sorry…." I stammered.

"No…." He dusted himself off and offered me his hand. "I bumped into you."

I pulled myself up with his help. Luckily he helped me up because if he didn't, I don't think I'd be able to on my own. This dress made sure of that…"I'm sorry…." I said again.

After he made sure I was standing, he left without another word.

I gazed after him as he hurried away. If I didn't remember that he was Lucas' double, I would have called him Lucas…They were so alike here….

"Prince Luciano Barbosa of the Garadium Kingdom." Kip replied without me asking and sat down on my shoulder again.

I walked over to the window and looked outside. _Lucas…is Luciano…in this world. Are you still the same person…? He reminds me so much of the person I know…_My eyes searched the brightly sunlit place and I saw realized that everything outside was covered with various plants and flowers. They were all so beautiful with the sun setting. The light hit it so everything seemed so fairytale like.

"Kip! What is that?" I asked and pointed out the window.

"That's the inner garden of Waltz Castle. Would you like to go see it?" Kip asked.

"Yeah!" I excitedly exclaimed and rushed outside.

I walked through a stone archway covered with vines that had tiny white flowers blooming on them. After I walked through them, the setting sun glared on my face so I shielded my eyes with my hand. Kip flew back inside the castle after making sure I actually found my way into the garden. I spotted Vince, the blonde, happy prince I had met earlier and a tall, green-haired boy chatting on a stone trail.

_I'll go greet them later. _I decided and sat on a stone bench by a bed of peculiar looking flowers. I looked around the around the colorful flower bed and spotted one that stood above the rest. There were two different shapes of petals on the same flower; the petals in the front were a roundish diamond shape while the ones underneath it were sharp and pointy diamonds. Its ends were dark purple and the center was in the shape of a star. I plucked the delicate flower from its spot.

"What kind of flower is this?" I wondered aloud.

"That is the malkid," I heard a voice behind me say.

I spun around. I saw the same tall boy that was talking with Vince earlier. Everything with this prince was green. His suit was a darkish emerald and his hair and eyes were the same shade of bright green. The only thing that wasn't green was his white undershirt, his red handkerchief that hung around his neck, and his tan dress pants.

He stretched out his hand to me." My name is Liam Goodrich. I come from the Green Kingdom."

I grabbed his hand and he helped me up from the stone bench. I had to keep in my laugh. _So much green. He even comes from the Green Kingdom? Please, there has to be a better name for his kingdom…_I dusted off the dirt and leaves off my hands. "Nice to meet you, Liam. I'm Elizabeth."

"Hi Elizabeth. What's your favorite flower?" Liam asked politely.

"I'm not a flower expert, but the only ones I know the names to that I really like are lilies and orchids," I replied.

"My favorite is lilies, too!" Liam smiled and added, "Orchids? That flower compliments your beauty…."

I blushed and looked away. _Agh…This is just like Leon back at home…_

"It was very nice to meet you, Elizabeth." Liam smiled and walked away, leaving my face burning red.

I heard a bell ring inside and Kip poked his head out of the door I had walked out of. "Princess! It's time for dinner!" he yelled.

I sighed in relief. "Finally! I am _so_ hungry!"

I wiped the sides of my mouth gently with the white cloth on the table beside me plate. I straightened my back as the king took his place in the front of the ballroom.

The king clinked his glass several times with a fork. "Thank you everyone for coming to this dinner party. For entertainment, Prince Klaus Rosencrans and Princess Cynthia will dance for us! Give them a big round of applause!"

The whole room erupted with cheering and clapping and their heads turned to face the couple.

I watched them step up to the empty dance floor. The king turned on a big record player with a bronze horn. Beautiful piano music echoed in the quiet room and Klaus and Cynthia began to dance. They stayed with the beat and their steps flowed smoothly. I watched them with awe. Their movements were so perfect and beautiful. _Wow…They're…good…._

After a few minutes, they held hands and bowed. Everyone applauded wildly and screamed with joy. I smiled and lifted myself off my chair. "Is it time to go, Kip?"

"Almost! I want to eat a _little_ more…." He patted his stomach and sat back down on his small chair.

When the dinner party was finally over and Kip finished his meal, we walked back to my bedroom. When we arrived, Kip and I quietly got ready for bed. I decided to wear silk lavender pajamas that I found in the princess' drawers. It was a relief to get rid of that dress….

"Today was…interesting," I said, disrupting the silence.

Kip flew in out of the bathroom, looking tired. He buttoned up his matching pajama top. It was white with flying cheeses all over it. He wore yellow slippers and a night cap. "Yes. It was. The food was just…." He patted his stomach again. "Delicious! How did you like the princes?"

I sighed. "Well, I think I have to start getting used to the fact that this world has doubles from the people in my world…It's so weird…They're so alike in so many ways that it's scary…."

Kip laughed and I climbed into the bed. It was amazingly comfortable so I crawled into the warm quilts and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

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><p><strong>AN: And that is the end of Ch. 4! I'll start working on revamping up the later chapters since this is how far I got. (Hey, I know you're probably thinking 'You revamped only 3 chapters?' But I have 4 stories to update and stuff and that's hard Dx) But yeah, I hope you enjoyed! **

**Comments and favoriting always will mean a lot to me :3**


	4. Chapter 4: Today's Lesson Is

**A/N: And here is the revamped chapter to Ch. 4! I didn't change much. I just added more detail and dialouge, but that means I was satisfied with this chapter and it didn't need a lot of editing...I hope you guys enjoy! e(ven though this is a short chapter...)**

**Disclaimer: Princess Debut isn't mine.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Today's Lesson Is…<strong>

"Hey Elizabeth...Elizabeth? Hello?" a very familiar voice whispered in my ear.

"Ugh…Go away. Trying to sleep here…." I rolled over to the other side of my bed and began to fall back to sleep.

"Wake up you lazy lump!" the loud, yet squeaky, voice yelled in my ear.

I sat up with a jump and realized the voice belonged to Kip. I groaned. "Kip…What the heck was that for? I'm still tired…."

Kip giggled and sat down on my shoulder. "Well, we have something to do today."

I looked at him with a tired glare. "Again? I didn't even want to go yesterday. What makes you think that I'll want to go today?"

"I promise it'll be fun!" He smiled. I noticed that his pajamas were already on his bedside and that he looked ready to go…Wherever we were going.

_The meaning of fun to Kip is very different to my definition of fun...He'll probably pull me out of bed anyway. Might as well. _"Okay…Just don't rush me. I'll go get ready. And can I go wear something…normal?" I thought back to that weird ruffle dress I had to wear yesterday and shivered at the thought of wearing it again.

Kip thought for a moment. "No, we're just going to…." he trailed off. "Can't tell you! It's a secret!" he laughed and flew out of the room. "I'll wait outside."

"Okay!" I called out after him as he shut the door. I walked slowly to my new wardrobe, but when I got there I stopped.

"Kip? Can you come in here please?" I opened the door a little for Kip to fly in.

"What is it? Need help to pick your clothes?" He began to go to my dresser to pick out something.

I laughed. "No, I can pick my own clothes. I just need you to…open my wardrobe for me."

"What's wrong? You can't open the door by yourself?" he giggled and flew near the door handle.

"Well, we kinda came from my world through there. I'm not sure if the portal thingy is still there…." I knew I sounded silly, but I didn't want to get sucked back into my world without warning.

All of a sudden, Kip began to laugh!

"What?" I blushed, embarrassed with myself. "Go open it, Kip." I poked his head.

Kip, still smiling and quietly snickering, pulled the door open to reveal—the princess' array of clothes and shoes. When I saw that nothing unusual was in the closet, I sighed in relief.

"You actually thought the portal was there? I thought you were joking!" Kip hooted loudly once more and flew out of the room to catch his breath.

"That was so immature of him to laugh at me…." I said to myself, but ended up smiling because of my own stupidity.

"So where are we going again?" I asked Kip.

"I told you many times, Princess! It's a secret!"

I tied the ribbon behind my back because the dress I had picked out was a bit bigger than my actual size. It was the only casual one, and it fit comfortably. It was lavender with a white hem. The sleeves were fading lightly until it turned white, and they hung loosely off my shoulder. My shoes were modern pink ballet flats, the only pair that I had on our wild trip here.

We stopped in front of a building about the size of a one story house. _Practice Hall _was written in black, fancy calligraphy writing. The golden colored wooden door had a half circle glass window above it and in the middle of all the pretty colors, was a silhouette of a…bunny? Kip pushed me inside before I could look around anymore. I could immediately tell that the inside definitely _was _some sort of dance room. Mirrors covered the walls and I saw myself staring back in each one of them. The floor was checkered with dark and pale lavender. My footsteps echoed with each step. There were small chairs by the door with red cushions and there was an old record player in the corner. _So old…Records…._

"It's so quiet..." I had to whisper. I felt that I would feel awkward or disrupt something if I spoke up too loud.

Kip beamed at me. "Cool, huh? This is where you're going to practice until the ball! You know practice makes perfect!"

I made a face. "We're practicing here? That's good…Because I don't know a _thing _about dancing. Who's my instructor?"

I felt a small tug at the bottom of my dress and saw a bunny wearing clothes. It was a little weird, but I found it strangely cute. He was no taller than my knee, and he wore a black suit with a matching top hat. His red bow tie matched the color of the big bunny's eyes. He was hopping expectantly with his arms raised up, so I picked him up in my arms.

I wiggled my fingers on his head between the bunny's ears. "And who's this, Kip?" I giggled.

He hovered above the bunny and stuck out his arm. "Your dance instructor, Tony!"

At that moment, I heard a soft _pop_ noise. A small dust cloud appeared in my arms and I blinked in surprise. The weight of the bunny in my arms disappeared and a large figure stood in front of me.

"There we are!" A tall rabbit standing like a man looked exactly like the bunny I was holding earlier. Except the cute aspects of it were gone and he looked more like a grown man…A grown bunny guy thing….

I stared at the figure in front of me. "What? Kip, is this a joke?"

Kip scowled at me and said, "Have some respect, Princess! Tony happens to be the greatest dancer in the entire kingdom!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Tony?"

The rabbit bowed. "Tony Rabbit. Your dance instructor."

"He transforms using special magic," Kip stated proudly. "I'll be off, Princess. Good luck on dancing!"

_Good luck? Are you insulting me? _I felt my sweat drop as Kip flew out the door.

"Princess?" Tony inquired. "Ready?"

I readjusted my dress and nodded at him. "I guess…."

"To begin, let's learn the basics.…"

"Watch your step!"

"This way? Aaaaah!" I shrieked and tripped over my feet.

Tony placed a paw over my hand to help me up. "Are you alright?"

I groaned, frustrated with how I couldn't keep up. I took his hand pulled myself to stand. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You know, there's more to dancing than footing. There's technique and balance," Tony explained.

"Wow. You make dancing could sound so artistic," I replied.

"Well, to some, it is a beautiful art," he said.

"Yeah." I paused and looked up at Tony, not knowing what to say. "Let's continue?" I realized I was panting heavily and I didn't want to continue at all.

"Maybe let's call it a day. You're not used to a dancing schedule." He pointed to the door, and as if on cue, Kip flew in.

"Here to pick me up, Kip?" I asked while stretching my arms over my head.

He playfully patted my brown bangs. "Yup!" He turned to Tony. "Thank you for teaching Elizabeth!"

Tony bowed. "She's making good progress, for a beginner. We'll practice more tomorrow."

"Come, Princess!" Kip said as he turned to me again. "Let's head home."

"Finally…." I muttered under my breath. I hope Tony or Kip didn't hear…I turned around one last time and waved at Tony.

Tony waved back as I left Practice Hall behind.

"So, how'd you like it?" Kip asked me.

I sighed. "I don't…know…."

"You don't know?" Kip laughed. "C'mon. Be serious. How was it?"

"It's…okay…I guess… Am I going to dance in a dress _every _time? I mean, it makes me trip even more!" I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted.

"Yes, you do need to wear a dress. You are living in this certain time period. It's unladylike for girls to wear pants."

"I don't really like it though…he dancing, I mean."

"Yet!" he exclaimed with a grin.

My lips curved upward to form a smile, but it didn't reach my eyes. _What if that 'yet' never came?_

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><p><strong>AN:** **And that wraps up Ch. 4! I hoped you guys liked the way I interpreted how Tony transformed. More revamped chapters to come!**


	5. Chapter 5: Learning to Waltz

**Chapter 5: Learning to Waltz**

"_Two princesses?!"_

"_Impossible! One princess is an imposter!"_

_I felt as if I was drowning in everyone's voices. They wouldn't stop yelling at me. "It's not what you think! Listen to me!"_

_But even after my pleas, the voices wouldn't stop. _

"_She's a fake!"_

_My throat started to feel as if it were getting choked up, but still, I shouted, "Please! It's just a big misunderstanding!" I wanted to be heard. No…I desperately _needed _to be heard. _

"_This is an outrage!"_

_Their words filled my ears. Even when I covered them with my hands, I couldn't block it out. _Please…Make it stop….

_And then, everything turned dark._

I gasped and pushed myself up against the bedpost. My hands were tightly gripping the pink quilt, and when I saw it, I loosened my grip. When I looked around and saw that I was in the Princess' room, I sighed in relief. _It was only a dream…._

I lay my head back down on my fluffy pillow and tried to fall back asleep. It was really quiet, so it wouldn't be too hard. _Wait…Why was it so quiet?_

"Kip?" I called. I rotated my head to the side and saw a peculiar looking basket on top of the pink chest of drawers. When I stood up and peered inside it, Kip was lying in there, fast asleep.

Looking towards my dresser, the royal tiara glimmered from the sunshine peeking through the curtains. My eyes grew wide with realization. _The dance competition is tomorrow!_

_There was a knock at the door and I glanced up to look at it. _Who was that? _I wondered as Kip flew over to the door and opened it. _

_In the doorway was a dog that, like Tony, stood like a human. He was wearing some sort of toy soldier get up and it made him look as if he was some huge child's toy. But by this time, I was used to the fact that there were animals that talked and walked like people. I guess it had something to do with the magic thing that this world had or something…._

_The soldier dog guy cleared his throat and announced, "Sir Majesty, the King, has proclaimed the first dance competition of the year. This is his letter in his words." He unrolled a piece of parchment paper that was in his hand. He put it out in front of him and began reading it, " My dear Princess Elizabeth, You are to find a partner and have a dance that you are ready to present to Sir Majesty, the King two days from now. This presentation of dance will take place in the Dance Hall. Be aware that this is a dance competition and that you will compete against many dancers. I expect you to be ready, Elizabeth. Make me proud." The dog soldier looked up at me. "It's signed by Sir Majesty, the King."_

"_There's a dance competition tomorrow?" I asked. At the moment, that was all I had gotten out of that whole letter. _

_He nodded and rolled up the parchment paper. He handed it to me. "Would the Princess like to keep the letter?"_

"_Yes," I said and took the roll of paper from his hands. "Thank you."_

_Kip shut the door and I put the letter on my dresser. _

"_Your first dance competition is tomorrow, Princess!" Kip grinned up at me. "Are you excited?"_

_I looked at him disbelievingly. "No!" I slowly shook my head. "I am _not _excited."_

_His smile faded. "W-What? W-Why?"_

"_Kip, are you kidding me? There's a dance competition in two days and I don't know how to dance at all!"_

"_Well, what about your first practice with Tony? He said you were doing well!"_

"_Well? He was probably just talking about listening to him. My dancing was horrible. You are so lucky you didn't see it…."_

That was yesterday. So that meant that I had today and part of tomorrow to practice. If I didn't, I would either go to the dance competition and fail in front of tons of people, or I would confess and tell the King that I was a fraud. I was not eager at all for either one.

I grabbed the Royal Tiara that was on top of my dresser and placed it on my head. In a matter of seconds, my silk PJ's were transformed into a pink dress. It was too early to go to Practice Hall, but I was determined to master the Waltz before the competition. Luckily, Practice Hall was visible from the castle, so I could get there without the worry of getting lost.

When I stepped outside, I took a deep breath. Taking in the crisp, cool air made me feel energized and ready to dance. I walked in a leisurely pace, taking in the beautiful sights of the Flower Kingdom. On the right, I saw two split paths that led to two different places. One path led to a forest full of huge trees. The other one led to an area that was gated off, keeping anyone from getting in. On my left, I saw a town square with small buildings surrounding it. There was also a small park beside the market square where I saw a nice area to walk and play on with beautiful plants and trees. Who knew there were parks back then…?

_I hope Tony's in there. I need as much practice possible. _I spotted the wooden double doors that I had walked through yesterday and gently knocked on it. For a while, there was no answer, but after waiting a bit, the doors creaked open and out hopped Tony. He was in his small bunny form, but when he saw me, he instantly changed into the tall, rabbit dance instructor I had just met yesterday.

"Hello Elizabeth," he said. "What brings you here so early?"

"The dance competition is tomorrow, right?" I asked, trying to confirm the fact.

He gestured for me to step inside. "Yes."

"Okay, I need to learn how to Waltz before then. Can you help me practice?" I asked and sat down on a chair that was by the door.

"Of course, Princess." He walked over to the corner of the room and started getting the record player with the big horn ready. A few moments later, music blared out of the horn and it echoed all over the room. He then walked to the middle of the room and stretched out his paw.

I nervously walked up to Tony and placed my hand in his.

"Elizabeth, this is the stance you will be in while dancing the Waltz," he explained and gripped my right hand in his left, which he pulled straight out to the side. His right hand guided my other hand onto his shoulder, and after doing so, he placed his it on the side of my stomach.

'"Okay…." I adjusted my feet a little so they were comfortably spaced out. "What are the first few steps?"

We both looked towards the ground at our feet. "So, we start with your right, then your left, and ending with your right again."

I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion. "What?"

He let go of my hands and backed up bit. "Like this. Just watch my feet." I saw his right foot cross over his left, and his left foot slid out from under his right. I noticed his right foot shifted and it pointed out towards the corner of the room.

"I have to do all that in the stance?"

Tony nodded and walked towards me again. "Yes."

We got into the position and I tried the steps out based on memory. _Okay, Elizabeth. You can do this…_I waited for the music to match with the steps. _Right cross over left, left foot slide out…And point!_

I heard a loud _thud _on the ground and Tony yelped, "Ow!" We both stopped dancing and pulled away from each other. Tony was jumping up and down, holding his left foot in his hands.

"Tony? What happened?" I rushed over to him and helped him into a chair.

"Elizabeth…You…stomped...on my…foot!" Tony's face contorted in pain.

I examined his foot, and saw that there was a small heel print on it. I looked down at my shoes and I saw that I was wearing my pale pink ballet flats with a white ribbon at the toes part. The reason it hurt so much was because the heel was solid and rigid.

"I-I'm so sorry Tony! I didn't realize that I did that!" I apologized over and over again, while inside my head, I was panicking. _What if Tony can't dance? I won't be ready by the dance competition, and everyone will know I'm a fraud! _"You can still dance, right?"

Tony rubbed his foot and got up slowly. "Yes. I think the pain is almost gone…."

I sighed in relief. "Tony, I'm really sorry…I know that—"

"Don't fret, Princess Elizabeth. You're a beginner. Dancing isn't an easy thing to do. " He went over to the record player to replay the song.

We got in the stance again, and started to dance again. This time, I tried to be careful as to not step on Tony's foot again. _Right foot, left foot…Now point!_

This time, there were no shrieks from Tony, but something felt a little…off.

"Was that good?" I looked up at Tony.

"Now you're a little offbeat. You're speed was a little slower."

My gaze fell to the floor. "I was just scared to stomp on your foot again…." I muttered.

He smiled comfortingly. "Well, if it happens, it happens. Let's continue with some more steps."

I watched Tony's every move as he demonstrated the steps to me. Whenever I was ready to try them, he would make me do them on my own, so we would do better when we danced together. Or maybe Tony wanted to just stay clear away from my feet…That method actually helped me get the timing and the steps down.

But when it was time to dance together, most of the knowledge I just gained flew out the window.

"No, Elizabeth! I said your left!"

I took my right foot and stomped it down. "Like this?"

Tony's face winced as my foot landed on his. "That's right, not left!"

"Oh…Like this!" I took my left foot and stomped it down again.

"No, no, no!" Tony shook out his foot and showed me.

I copied him, and that resulted in Tony sighing in relief, since I didn't stomp on his foot this time. "Okay, let's try those few steps _again_."

Our dancing pattern was like this: Music, dance, STOMP! Music, dance STOMP! I could tell Tony was getting worn out, but he still continued dancing. The longer we practiced, the better I got. Over time, I was starting to actually get the feel of it and I could finally match the steps with the music. All without stepping on Tony's feet.

By the time it was late morning, we were both extremely tired, and Tony's rabbit feet were red and covered with my many heel prints. I was curious why Tony didn't stop because as he was teaching me, I could tell he was starting to feel sore. But I guess we were both determined for me to learn and master it.

"Finally…You got…the…steps down…." Tony panted and sat down on a chair by the door. He lifted his legs and began to massage his swelling feet.

I leaned against the wall and stretched my legs out in front of me. "You shouldn't have continued if your feet were in pain…Are your feet okay?" I asked, my eyes staring at his poor feet.

He nodded his head, but slowly. "That's enough dancing for today. You must be exhausted. You should do something to relax you. Tomorrow, we'll do a few more rounds so we can make sure you're prepared for the dance competition tomorrow."

I looked down and played with my fingers. "Right…." My arms wobbled as I pulled myself off the floor. I walked over towards the doors and opened them. Before I left though, I turned my head back towards Tony. "Thank you," I said. Saying those words like that didn't seem to show how grateful I really was.

He waved his paw at me. "Take care, Princess."

I shut the doors behind me, but I stopped when I came outside. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I decided to explore around while I had some freedom from Kip. I didn't have much of that anymore now that I had someone like Kip clinging on to me. He would always make sure I was acting…ladylike…In general, it wasn't fun to be around him.

I came across a place in a trail that separated into two lanes. _Left…_I thought and pointed one finger to my left. _Or right..? _I pointed my right index finger to my right. My brown eyes moved towards the right where I saw tall, green trees and tons of bushes. _Right, _I decided.

I ambled slowly down a stone path that headed towards the forest-looking area. I noticed how the concrete eventually turned into lush, bright green grass. The tall trees made a canopy over my head and the small, round bushes seemed to clear a pathway for me to walk through. I immediately began to smell that fresh scent that told me that I was entering some part of nature.

I slightly squinted my eyes to look ahead of me and saw a huge lake. I excitedly dashed over there and sat down on a small log that was near the water's edge. _Is there anyone here?_ My eyes scanned the area around me, and when I didn't see anyone, I slipped my pink ballet flats off my feet. I stood up and sauntered slowly towards the lake. My feet reached the cool water and the waves pushed it up my ankles, somewhat relaxing my sore muscles. I guess dancing really took a lot out of me….

I glanced behind me and noticed that the grass was glistening with tiny dew drops. I decided to sit down on it, despite how wet it was. My poofy dress would keep me from getting wet anyway….

There seemed to be a serene sensation around the lake, and the soft, cool water made me want to just lie down on the grass and fall asleep. So I did exactly that. _ If only I could just stay like this. It's so peaceful…It's never like this at home._

Thinking about home reminded me why I was here. I had to pretend to be some princess that I wasn't, act like I was excited about this whole Royal Ball thing, and on top of that, I actually had to learn how to dance. As far as I knew, I was a horrible dancer. I was too tired to stress about anything, so I chose to bask in the peacefulness that surrounded me. I shut my eyes and let the sun warm my body. Suddenly, the warmth disappeared, and I could sense a shadow over me.

I blinked my eyes open and almost shrieked when I saw Luciano hovering above my face.

"L-Luc—" I stopped myself before I called him Lucas. _His name is Luciano here…_I remembered and tried again. "Luciano!"

"What are you doing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. His arms were crossed over his chest even though the top half of his body was leaning over me.

I suddenly remembered that I was lying on the ground, with my feet still in the water. I blushed a little, embarrassed. "I-I was just…um…." I tried to find the right word. "Relaxing…." I stammered.

Luciano stood up properly. "Are you just gonna lie there?"

"Uh…No…." I awkwardly stood up and pulled my feet out of the water. I realized I couldn't leave until my feet were dry. "Luciano…?"

He was still watching me when he answered, "What do you want?"

"Um…My feet are wet…." I said uncomfortably. _How much weirder can this get?_

He stood there for a few moments and finally answered, "What do you want me to do about it?"

I couldn't hold back my smile. _It's just like Lucas back home. He acts clueless even though he knows what I'm talking about. _"I can't just leave the forest walking around without any shoes!"

"So? What does any of this have to do with me?" he replied with his face in the same emotionless expression.

"Do you have anything I can use to dry my feet?" I raised my eyebrows and gave him a look. I bent down to pick up my shoes that were lying on the edge of the bank.

He turned his head away and pulled at a small, orange cloth at his neck. He held out his hand and pointed the cloth in my direction. He glanced expectedly at me, so I guess he was giving it to me. After staring at it, I finally took the cloth.

I paused and looked down at it in my hands. "Luciano…? You know I'm using this for my feet right?" The thought of me rubbing my feet dry then returning it to him slightly disgusted me. Did he even want it back?

Luciano crossed his arms again and started to walk away.

_He didn't even answer me…_I scowled as he walked away, leaving me alone to dry up. I rubbed the cloth over my feet, all the while giggling to myself.

"You _what_?!" Kip screeched.

"It wasn't on purpose Kip…." I mumbled under my breath.

I had reluctantly told Kip what had happened about an hour ago back at Practice Hall. After I was sure my feet were dry, I had headed back to my room. Of course, Kip was in a panic trying to look for me, so when I opened the door, Kip began to throw question after question at me. I finally told him about my dancing with Tony and how his feet got injured in the process. But adding the part about me stomping all over Tony's feet did not make anything better.

"I can't believe you did that! Poor Tony…" Kip huffed.

_Maybe I should have left that part out…_I just sat there, slouching on my bed. Kip was lecturing me about how he wanted me to wait for him to take me to Practice Hall and that I should never leave without me telling him first.

"I was so worried about you!" he cried.

"Well, aside from all that…I learned how to Waltz…." I said and gave Kip a sarcastic smile. I said this to try to avert Kip from going off about Tony.

He abruptly stopped flying around in frantic circles. His already big eyes grew even bigger when he heard me say that. "You…did?"

I gave Kip a weird look. "Yeah…Did you listen to anything else other than me stomping on Tony's feet?"

He continued to give me a wide-eyed stare. "You mean…You went to Practice Hall to learn to Waltz?"

"Yeah…." I said awkwardly.

Kip's eyes began to water. "That makes me so…happy!" His tiny hands flew up to his cheeks.

I could feel my sweat drop as I saw Kip flying back and forth across the room happily. "Uh…Kip? I'm just gonna go and…see how Tony's doing…." I lied, trying to get myself out of this awkward position. I was starting to get a bit weirded out with Kip's bizarre behavior.

I quickly ran out of the room. When I itched my head, I felt something soft brush my cheek. I looked at my hand and realized I had almost forgotten that I was holding Luciano's cloth. _Oh. I should take care of this so I can return it to him…_I headed to the Ballroom to find someone who could help me. I decided I was going to clean it before giving it back since it was rightfully his. It was only right to clean it first. I mean, no one wants a dirty, nasty cloth given back to them even though it was theirs….

When I walked in, the huge Ballroom was empty, and it seemed that no one was there. "Hello?" I called out, the word being carried around the room. I heard footsteps echoing somewhere and when I turned around, there was a dog in soldier clothes. I guessed he was a guard by the looks of it. He was wearing a blue jacket with lots of golden yarn hanging off his shoulders and small pockets. He had on black dress pants and he wore of those black, fuzzy hats that those guards protecting Big Ben wore. I wasn't the least shook up with the appearance of this dog guard because the whole Kingdom had animals that talked and walked like normal people and I had actually gotten used to it.

"May I help you, Princess?" he bowed respectfully.

"Oh, yes. I was wondering if you could help me find a way to clean this up." I said and showed him the orange cloth in my hand.

"Would you like one of the servants of this castle to do it for you, Ma'am?"

I shook my head. "No. I want to wash it myself."

"Okay, right this way, Princess." He walked in small marches across the room towards a small door. He pushed it open and gestured for me to go in.

It was a humungous kitchen with countless stoves and lots of pots and pans hanging from hooks attached to the wall. Nothing was out of place, and I could hear my footsteps echo as I walked in. It looked medieval, yet somewhat modern. The stoves looked as if they ran on electricity, but of course, they ran on wood and fire. The guard took down a large pot and began to fill it with water. He then carried it over to one of the stoves and started setting up the stove to heat up the water.

"Just wait a few minute, Princess. The water has to be hot in order for you to wash it," the guard explained.

After those few minutes passed, he got rid of the fire. I walked over to the pot and dropped the small cloth in. I watched as it slowly sank to the bottom.

"Princess, the first thing you must do is stir it around…."

I sighed and finally took the orange cloth off the clothes line. It had taken all day for it to dry, and I was getting bored waiting. The guard had instructed me to get rubber gloves and stir the cloth around with my hand. I accidently stirred it too quick, and the hot water had stung my arm. I got a small burn, so the guard had called a nurse to come in and tend to it. I had to keep my arm in cold water for ten minutes, and then the nurse put all sorts of creams on my burn. She finally wrapped it, and the guard took over to make sure I wouldn't get hurt again. After he was finished, he told me to hang it outside to dry. I had waited maybe hours for it, and I was getting annoyed since I had to go back and forth to check it.

Kip had been waiting for me the entire time, and when I came in, I was relieved to see he wasn't still freaking out. At the moment, I was too tired to deal with anything so I just collapsed on my bed. The dancing and waiting had taken more out of me than I thought it would.

"Where'd you go?" Kip asked me.

I didn't answer, but I raised my arm for him to see Luciano's cloth in my hand. I got up one last time to change into my pajamas and get ready for bed. Then, I folded the orange fabric and placed it nicely on my dresser. After doing so, I crawled back under my thick sheets.

"Goodnight, Princess." Kip whispered, and that was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Kept Promises

**A/N: Here's Ch. 6! I don't really want to make an A/N...Nothing much to say anyway xD Other than I Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Debut.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Kept Promises<strong>

"Priiiiinceeeessss…." a voice whispered, prolonging each vowel in the word.

"Hm…." I mumbled and pulled one of my pillows closer to my body.

"It's your mousey buddy! Da-da-da! Kip!" _There was that high pitched_ _voice again…._

"Kip?" I groaned and opened an eye. I saw Kip with his hand on his hips and his chest swelled up with pride. "What's with the weird introduction? I'm gonna go back to sleep…." I buried my head back into the pillow.

"Hmph…" There was a short silence before he started talking again. "Could it be? A cloth just for me? Is this orange cloth a new blanket for me? Or maybe a towel…Yay! New cloth for me!"

_What the heck is he blabbing about? New blanket...Wait…Orange? _I quickly pushed myself off the bed and looked around for Kip. I finally saw him on my dresser hugging Luciano's cloth in his arms.

"Hey, that's not for you!" I shot out of the bed and yanked the cloth away from Kip.

"Aha! Good morning, Princess! Rise and shine! You seem ready to go!" Kip giggled.

I face-palmed when I realized that Kip had tricked me so I could get up. "Wow, Kip…."

Kip started laughing and he flew over to me and patted my head. "We have a big day today, Princess! So hurry, get ready!"

"Get ready?" I blinked a few times trying to remember if there was anything today. When I couldn't, I asked, "For what?"

Kip tilted his tiny head to the side. "Don't you remember? The dance competition!"

"Oh…." I looked down at Luciano's cloth in my hand. "When is it?"

"Tonight." Kip replied.

I glanced at the cloth another time and answered, "Well, what are you gonna do all day?"

"I'll be making sure everything is in order at the dance competition. I expect you to prepare yourself, Princess. I'll be off!" Kip exclaimed and flew out the door.

_Okay, now I have all day to do what _I _wanna do…_I stood up at the edge of my bed and stared down at my wrists. I saw the gauze on my arm from the burn I got yesterday. _Oh…I forgot about that…_I looked back at my bed and saw that the Royal Tiara was lying on the pillow next to me. I put it on my head and was transformed. After that, I started out the door.

_What to do first? Should I go to Practice Hall for a few more dances or return this to Luciano? _I realized I was outside the castle and was already heading towards Practice Hall. _I guess I could start here…._

I opened the doors and expected to see Tony, but to my surprise, no one was there.

"Tony?" I called out. No answer. I took another look around, but again, saw no one. _How am I going to practice?_ I realized I had brought Luciano's cloth with me. _I guess I could do this since Tony isn't here…._

I whirled around and collided into something! I nearly fell over, but I kept my balance and saw that I bumped into someone. That someone was Luciano.

_Why do I always seem to bump into him? _"Oh…Hey Luciano.…" I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just coming into Practice Hall," he answered.

"Oh…." I remembered what I was going out to do and changed the subject. "Um…Here. " I pursed my lips and outstretched the hand that had the cloth in it.

He took it and looked down at it like it was the weirdest thing he ever saw. He finally cleared his throat. "Um…You're Welcome… I mean, uh…Thank you…Elizabeth…." he stammered. He seemed unsure of what to say. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to say either.

I shuffled around nervously in my spot. _Now _this _was awkward…Nice going, Elizabeth…._

Luciano turned his head away so I couldn't see it. He broke the silence with, "Anyway…Thank you again…for my…cloth," he said awkwardly.

"You're welcome." I gave him a close lipped smile. He was still turned around when I asked, "Do you know where Tony is?"

Luciano still looked a bit shaken up, but he turned to face me and replied, "No, why?"

"I just needed to practice the Waltz before the dance competition. It's today." It was a bit quiet after that again. I realized I was blocking the entrance and Luciano was standing outside. I moved aside and asked, "Are you going to come in?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going in, too…So, uh.…" _I should just shut up now…._

We both shuffled into Practice Hall and I awkwardly walked over to sit down in a chair. Luciano just crossed his arms and leaned back onto the wall.

I waited a few moments before speaking again. "So…Luciano…."

"What?" he replied without looking at me.

I nervously rubbed the back of my head. "Uh…How are you gonna practice?" I began.

I saw at the corner of my eye that Luciano was looking at me with one eyebrow raised. "I'm going to dance, obviously."

I bit my lip and turned away. _Just get it over with already! It's now or never!_ "Do you have a…uh…want to…." I slowly turned my head to look at him, but when I saw him, all my confidence just disappeared. His bright eyes stared deeply into mine, like he was trying to figure out what I was going to say. _Why is it so hard to talk to you…? What's wrong with you? Just ask him! _"I was just wondering if you…want to…dance?" I wanted to hit myself for how awkward I sounded and how my voice kind of squeaked when I said the word 'dance.' _God, I am so lame…._

There was a moment of silence. He finally replied with a simple, "Fine."

I looked at him with surprise and I stood up quickly. Maybe a bit too quick because I felt my dress get caught under my foot and I almost fell. Luckily, I lifted my skirt and my feet were both on the ground. _Well, you're doing a great job…._

He walked over to the record player and placed the Nocturne one on it, the same one Tony and I had practiced with. It began to play, so he walked over to me.

I blushed when I walked closer to him and got into the stance Tony had taught me. Luciano seemed to know what he was doing, because he did the stance as well and started dancing.

I tried to focus on my dancing, but all I could think about was Luciano. _What was he thinking? What if he doesn't like my dancing? Am I even doing this right? _I was extremely nervous dancing with him. I could feel a strange sensation at my hands. It must have been coming from Luciano's hand in mine. It felt like…electricity, traveling from my hands up my arms. All of a sudden, I pulled away. The sensation was starting to overwhelm me, and I was already nervous as is.

Luciano stared at me for a bit. "What's wrong?"

I started blushing in embarrassment and stared down at my hands. The electricity started fading away, so I just shook my head. "Nothing…Sorry.…"

We started dancing again, and of course, the strange feeling came back. I tried to ignore it as much as possible, and we finally went through the entire song without interruptions.

I pulled away from Luciano, and he did the same. _Thank God…It's over…And just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder…_When I glanced at him, he was giving me a look that made me feel uncomfortable. It made me feel as if I had done something wrong.

I slightly tilted my head to the side. "What?"

"Your steps were really off, Elizabeth. Are you sure you want to enter in the dance competition?" he said, his voice sounding unsure.

_I practiced my butt off yesterday with Tony! He said I did great! Why was Luciano saying otherwise? _"What?" I asked again as if I hadn't heard the first time.

"You're timing was…bad," he said bluntly.

I crossed my arms. I felt a little frustrated that I wasn't able to get it, and disappointed that Luciano didn't think my dancing was good enough. _I thought I was a good dancer because Tony said I did good…I guess he only meant…Or was he lying to make me feel good about myself?_

"If you're going to dance like _that_ at the competition, you're done for," he mumbled.

I looked down at the floor, angry with myself. "That's why I want you to be my partner, Luciano!" I shouted. The words left my mouth before I could process my thoughts. _What…What was I doing? _

He looked taken aback, probably shocked to hear me yelling. Or it was what I said. Whichever one it was, they were both surprising.

I bit my lip and dropped my gaze. "That's why I want you to be my partner, Luciano," I said again but without raising my voice. "I want you to help me get better in dancing…" I was surprised at how confident my voice sounded when I said that. Usually, when I shout, I would feel my lip quivering. But this time, it wasn't.

He seemed to hear the confidence in my voice because he sighed and said, "Alright then." He stretched out his hand towards me. "Let's begin."

"I told you I could do it!" I exclaimed and crossed my arms, satisfied with myself. We only had to dance one more time for me to show him how good of a dancer I was.

"I may have underestimated you, Elizabeth." Luciano smirked and leaned against the wall again.

I gave him a triumphant smile. "So, do you think I'm ready?"

"Yeah," he replied. His lip slightly curved upwards.

"Hey, you're smiling!" I giggled.

He looked at me, confused. "What do you mean…?"

I shrugged. "You're always so serious. Seeing you smile is rare." I gave him a smile myself.

After hearing that, he looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

My smile disappeared and I realized what I had just said. _What am I doing? The words are just leaving my mouth without me even thinking! He probably thinks I'm a weirdo!_ "I mean…So…You think I'm a good dancer?" _Nice save…._

Luciano crossed his arms. "Not good enough. Just good enough to enter the dance competition."

"Just to enter? You said so yourself…'I may have underestimated you, Elizabeth,'" I said quoting his words with my fingers.

"That's what you wanted right? To enter the dance competition?" he inquired.

"Yeah, but…I don't want to do just that…I want to become the best," I said again with that same determination in my voice.

"The best? For an amateur like you, you have a long ways to go."

I rolled my eyes. _There he goes again…Coming to conclusions before he even sees what I'm capable of…_"Luciano, that's why I asked _you_ to become my partner. I want you to teach me to become the best. Please? That's all I'm asking.…" I hated how desperate I sounded, but I knew there was no other way to ask so that Luciano would take me seriously.

His eyes moved to the side to look at me. "I expect you to listen to what I say."

I grinned when I realized my request was being accepted. "So?" I leaned towards him in a challenging way.

"I'm really strict when it comes to dancing." He also leaned forward, as if he were accepting the challenge.

I furrowed my eyebrows together and smiled. "Bring it on!"

The corner of his mouth slightly lifted upwards. "Are you sure you can take it?"

"I'll take anything you throw at me!"

His face turned serious. "Can we make a promise?"

I gave him a confused look. "What?"

"A promise. In my kingdom, we always make promises to each other. It shows the trust between us," he explained.

"Oh." I nodded my head in understanding. "Okay then."

Luciano walked towards me. He held out his right hand. "Just take my hand."

I blushed and slowly placed my left hand in his right. My hand tingled when I felt the strange sensation come back. "Like…this?" I asked, my voice raising in question.

"Yeah." He paused for a bit, then started speaking again. "You start, Elizabeth."

"Uh…alright…." I thought for a moment. _What do I say? He seems to take this thing seriously…Don't mess up again, Elizabeth…_"I promise to be a good student to you, Luciano. Whatever you say, I'll listen because I trust you to be a good teacher. I trust you to help me become the best dancer I can be." I pursed my lips and nervously looked up at him.

He was looking at me with those intense, honey-colored eyes, but it was his turn to talk, so he shook his head and looked at our hands. "I promise to be a good teacher to you, Elizabeth. I'll make sure you can become the best, and I won't leave until you have. I will stay here with you for as long as it takes."

We both tightened our grips on each other's hands. "I promise," we both said at the same time.

And with that, we let go. I was blushing so much, that it was too late to hide it from Luciano. He turned around. "You better be ready for the dance competition.…" he said with his back facing me.

"I will," I muttered. Luciano left Practice Hall, leaving me to be in my own thoughts.

I stared back down at my hands. The electricity feeling from holding Luciano's hand still lingered on my fingers. This time, it wouldn't leave my hands. I was getting warm from blushing so much. _Could you be any more obvious? _I mentally scolded myself. _He saw me blushing too…I'm so stupid!_

My mouth curved into a smile when I peered at my hands again. _A…promise…._

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and comment or click the Go button! x3 More to come! **


	7. Chapter 7: Dance the Night Away

**A/N: If you're wondering why it took so long to publish, I am now back in school (XC) and it's been taking up way too much time. And also, I get my fic betaed (or however u wanna say it) and she hasn't been able to look over it, cuz she's also in school. **

**Disclaimer: Princess Debut is not mine. Sorry :C**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8:<strong>

I headed up to my bedroom and closed the door. One thing was on my mind: the dance competition. After leaving Practice Hall, I felt totally confident and ready for it. It might have been dancing with Luciano that made me feel that way.

I opened my wardrobe to look for something to wear. Surprisingly, there were no other magical accessories except for a special spot for the Royal Tiara. Some dresses hanging there were too casual, some were too girly, and others were just plain weird. The shoes were a different story. All of them were high heeled, and there was no way I would use them to dance. I closed the wardrobe doors, uninterested.

_Is there anything comfortable I can wear? _I thought and sat down at the edge of my bed. _I've been wearing this poufy dress nearly every day, but it's still kinda itchy…_

My eyes wandered around the room until I saw a black mannequin neck on my dresser. I walked up to it in curiosity and noticed that a small necklace hung around its neck. It had tiny, dark blue beads and a sky blue seashell hanging down the center. A note was placed next to it. It read:

_Dear Princess,_

_I saw this in the market and decided to buy it for you. It's a present from me because you took the time to actually learn the Waltz. You also look a bit down, so I hope this cheers you up!_

_Kip_

_P.S. If you don't know where the dance competition is at, it's going to be at Dance Hal. It's right next to Practice Hall. I'll see you there!_

"Thanks." I said aloud. I took off the Royal Tiara and picked up the delicate necklace. When I put it on, I was wearing a sleeveless, light blue dress that reached down to my knee. I had white, elbow high gloves; except the weird thing about them were that they left my hands uncovered. My shoes were pale blue, open-toed heels, only centimeters off the ground. My brown hair was down, slightly curled at the ends.

_Wow… _I thought, breathless. _I look… pretty good…_

I took off the necklace, put it back on the mannequin, and put on the Royal Tiara. With something to wear for the dance competition, I skipped happily to Dance Hall.

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><p>"No! I said put the banner over <em>there!<em>" Kip shrieked.

I saw four small flying mice sigh and move a white banner to the place where Kip wanted. Servants of rushed around, placing decorations everywhere. Cats in maid outfits were cleaning red curtains, probably for the stage up front. Dogs in butler outfits were up on ladders, hanging different colored flowers on the pillars. Dozens of tiny flying mice were dusting hard to reach places, such as the ceiling and above the stage.

"You're doing a great job decorating, Kip!" I commented and he turned around to face me.

He gave me a huge smile, and flew over to where I was. "Thank you, Princess! Nothing plain, shabby, or boring when _I _decorate! I am the _best_ at decorating!" he put his tiny hands on his hips.

"The best? Or the bossiest? Is that why those four mice holding the banner over there glaring at you?" I pointed behind him to show him that their eyes were narrowed.

Kip turned around and the four mice immediately whipped their heads in another direction. "They're just jealous!" He laughed and tuned back around to face me again.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Whatever…"

"So!" he said. His voice hinted that he was changing the subject. "How's the practice going?"

"Great! I'm so going to win this thing!" I replied.

"And… Who are you going to dance with?" Kip questioned me, raising an eyebrow and grinning. His elbow nudged my shoulder playfully.

"Um…" My face turned red, remembering who my partner was. "Luciano."

"Oooo!" he stretched out the word as long as he could.

"Kip! Stop it!" I hissed.

He chuckled to himself and sat down on my shoulder. "That's good."

"Oh! Thanks so much for the necklace, Kip. It's great!" I picked him up in my hands.

"You like it! You're welcome then!" He flew off my hands and high-fived me.

"Kip!" a cat maid called. "What do I do with the extra fabric?!"

Kip sighed. "Well, I better get back to my job…" He reluctantly went over to where he was being asked for help.

I shrugged my shoulders and exited the building. _What do I do now?_ I decided to go into Practice Hall again. Big Mistake.

When I pushed open the doors, I saw Cesar standing in the middle of the room. I tried to sneak out quietly, but Cesar had already seen me.

"Elizabeth, darling!" he called out.

_Great… _I sighed and unenthusiastically turned around. "What is it?"

"I knew you would show up sooner or later!" He walked over to me and opened the doors for me to come in.

"Sorry, Cesar… I don't have time for your games…"

"I'm not playing any games with you… What I really want is to dance with my lovely lady!" Cesar said in a sing-song voice. He stroked his pink hair with one hand and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

_When was I ever your lovely lady? _"Uh… No, I'm good…" I answered.

"But we must! We must dance, so I can show you how much I love you!" he opened his hands, leaning forward to hug me, but I side-stepped him and he fell on his face.

"No way!" I yelled and ran away from Practice Hall.

"Playing hard to get, I see…" Cesar muttered as I ran as fast as I could back to my room.

When I was once again back in my room, I fell on my bed and hugged the pillows around me and pulled the quilt over me.

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><p>"PRINCESS!"<p>

I shrieked and pushed myself off the bed. I must have fallen asleep because I was under the sheets. I saw Kip at the door.

"Kip! What?" I looked around, confused.

"You're going to be late for the dance competition!" Kip screeched. His chubby face was giving me an angered expression.

"The dance…" I trailed off. I bolted towards the window and saw that the sky was dark. The moon was shining down, and I saw couples walking towards dance hall. "I'M LATE!" I screamed and grabbed my seashell necklace. I threw the Royal Tiara on my bed and hurriedly put on my necklace. In seconds, I was wearing a blue dress. I looked towards my dresser mirror and finger combed my hair. When I was satisfied, I rushed out of my room.

Kip was following me as I ran towards dance hall. Luckily, I made it in a few minutes early, and everyone was just chatting amongst themselves. The circular room seemed more crowded than when I came in earlier, probably because of all the people here. There was a small group of musicians playing on the stage. People with violins, a bass guitar, and a grand piano were all up there being played. White bouquets of flowers occupied the top of the golden pillars and pink curtains adorned the sides of the walls. A big, white banner that read: Flower Kingdom's Dance Competition hung above the stage. The magenta floor contrasted against everything in the room.

I wiped my forehead. "I made it…"

"Princess, is that you?" A voice behind me asked.

"Huh?" I turned around and I saw Cesar standing there.

"I would have been your partner, Princess, but I'm already someone else's…" Cesar frowned.

I crossed my arms and walked past him. "Like I would ask you…"

"I know some day you'll be mine, sweetheart!" Cesar called out after me.

_Sweetheart? What a weirdo… _I shuddered. I saw Vince, leaning against the wall, looking a little sad. "Um… Vince?"

He looked up at me. "Hi Elizabeth…"

"What's wrong?"

His green eyes avoided my gaze. "I couldn't get into this dance competition because I don't have a partner…"

He looked as if he was about to cry, so I touched a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Have you looked around for anyone?"

"No…" His head fell down from his neck.

Vince looked so sad, that I just had to comfort him. "Well, why don't you go look for one then? You still have time, and probably lots of girls would want to be your partner!" I smiled at him and gave him an encouraging fist pump.

His eyes showed a small glimmer of hope, and he grinned. "That's a great idea! Thanks Elizabeth!" And with that, he skipped away from me.

"That was kinda easy…" Kip muttered.

"Well, at least he's not sad anymore. I always feel bad when I see him like that…" I sighed and went to look around some more. I saw Liam sitting in the audience. He waved at me, so I made my way up to his seat.

"Elizabeth, you're entering the dance competition?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "Why, you're not?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have a partner. It's fun watching, too."

"I think it's more fun to dance though…" I mumbled.

"Do you have a partner?" Liam looked at me, waiting for a response.

"Uh… Yeah. Luciano." I answered quickly.

"Good luck then!" he smiled and I walked out of the crowded seats.

"Speaking of Luciano, where is he?" I wondered aloud.

"He probably got lost again." Kip snickered to himself, but his smile turned into a frown. "What happens if he can't find his way here?"

I gulped. "Good point…" I dashed out of the room and saw Luciano wandering around Practice Hall.

Kip flew off my shoulder and darted towards Luciano. "Prince Luciano! Dance Hall is right there!" He pointed a tiny finger to the building behind me.

I waved a hand at him. "Hi."

He looked a bit weirded out by Kip's sudden appearance, but he soon forgot about it after seeing me.

"You were lost?" I asked him, with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" he crossed his arms.

"Yes you were!" Kip laughed loudly.

I glared at Kip and pushed him towards Dance Hall. "Just, go inside, Kip!"

Kip obeyed, but I could still hear him giggling the whole way.

I rolled my eyes and focused my attention back to Luciano. "So… Did you do something to look fancy for the competition?"

"…No." He replied.

"So… let's go in then. It'll start soon!" I grabbed Luciano's hand and pulled him inside.

When I entered the building again, all the couples that were going to dance were all sitting in a special space in the audience. Luciano and I silently walked up some stairs entering the seats and we picked a spot to sit in. I noticed the MC at the corner of the stage, readying himself. He had gray hair with curls at the side and he had a small thin mustache. He was wearing a purple jacket with an undershirt covered with ruffles. He wore oval-shaped glasses over his blue eyes. When he finally walked onto the stage, a small round of applause was given to him.

He smiled and started announcing the beginning messages. "Ladies and gentlemen! Greetings to the welcoming dance competition! This dance competition is a warm welcome to the princes and princesses who have traveled here from their kingdoms to participate in the annual Ball in Saint-Lyon! There are many eager faces out there to start, so let's get started! We will start off with Prince Klaus from the Republic of Lamor and Princess Cynthia from the Marine Kingdom!"

The crowd started cheering and clapping excitedly as Klaus and Cynthia entered the middle of the room and waited for the conductor to cue the orchestra to play. When the music started, they started dancing. It felt so… mesmerizing to see them twirl and dance perfectly, both of them on time. They danced the same way they did at the feast. It was just so flawless, no fumbling about it. After those few spellbinding minutes, they held hands and bowed.

I realized I was clapping wildly with the crowd. "They were so good…" I heard myself say. I turned my attention to Luciano to see what his thoughts were, but he only raised an eyebrow. I stopped clapping and looked down to my lap, embarrassed. It seemed like I was rooting for them, and not believing how good Luciano and I were as dancers. I didn't comment anymore because it made me sound unconfident in our dancing skills.

The MC continued to announce couple after couple to dance. One couple's dance was elegant, but they seemed a little off beat. Another couple made a mistake and the girl dancer ripped her dress. She ran out of the building with her partner in embarrassment.

"And last but not least, Prince Luciano from the Garadium Kingdom and Princess Elizabeth!"

I stood up from my chair and went around the seats. There was a staircase leading down to the dance floor, and I strode towards it.

I stopped abruptly and noticed for the first time how big the audience was. I turned around to face my partner.

"What?" he asked when I looked at him.

_I can't do this… There's too many people out there! _"Luciano, I can't go down there…" I nervously said.

"What?!" he said again, giving me a shocked look.

Kip flew up behind him. "Princess? What's wrong?"

"Stage fright." Luciano muttered to Kip, but his eyes were staring at me. He seemed upset with my sudden behavior.

I just stood there, looking at Kip then at Luciano and then back again. _What should I do? I can't just stand here. Everyone is expecting me to go out there and dance!_

"Oh, c'mon now!" Kip grabbed my hand and forced it into Luciano's. A wave of electricity shot up my arm and I couldn't help but turn a little red.

After a few awkward moments, I felt Luciano tug on my hand, and realized that he was leading me down the steps onto the middle of the dance floor.

"Don't look around. Just focus on dancing. Pretend the only people in the room are you and me." Luciano instructed.

I just nodded my head and looked into his honey-colored eyes. When the conductor cued the orchestra to play, I listened to his advice. Just looking at him made the audience seem like they weren't there.

Suddenly, a strange feeling rushed over me. The only thing I wanted to do was start dancing. It was like I wanted to just keep dancing and never stop. As we danced, I felt myself getting lost in the music, and I focused on all the steps and twirls. The feeling remained throughout the entire time we danced.

It took me a moment to realize the song had ended and we were done dancing. The audience gave us a loud round of applause.

"Wow." I breathed. "That was fun…" I noticed that Luciano was staring at me, looking somewhat surprised.

"Elizabeth… I never… You didn't dance like that at practice…" he muttered, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The way you danced… It was so—"

Our conversation was cut off by the MC tapping on the microphone. "Ladies and gents, please silence your applause. We're going backstage to decide the winning dance couple, so please just wait a few minutes." The MC shuffled back into the side of the stage.

I turned to face Luciano again. "Ok. What were you say—"

"Princess!" Kip flew over towards me, interrupting what I was about to say. "That was absolutely excellent!"

"Thank you." I giggled and glanced at Luciano. "You were great! Your leading helped a lot! Also, what did you think of my dancing?"

"It was…" he paused. "Beautiful…"

Hearing Luciano compliment me like that made me blush. I started fiddling with my fingers, reluctant to look at him. The only thing I managed to say was, "Thank you…"

Luciano cleared his throat and shook his head. "Um… yeah. We should head back to our seat now…" he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"Ok…" I giggled nervously and followed him back to our seats.

We just sat awkwardly, waiting for the results to be announced. After a few minutes passed, the MC finally came out from the curtains. When the audience saw him, there was an instant shush over them and they focused their attention onto him.

"Alright folks! The results are in!" He pulled out a small scroll of paper and unrolled it. "And the winner of this dance competition is…"

I gripped the edge of my seat and waited anxiously for the winner. The wait was killing me. Other couples around me looked nervous too. One girl in the audience looked like if she didn't get an answer soon, she would go crazy.

"Prince Luciano and Princess Elizabeth!"

I didn't realize that they had called my name until Kip started clapping and cheering. "R-really?"

"Come on down and get your prize!" the MC announced.

Me and Luciano made our way down the steps onto the stage. I was smiling the whole way.

"Congratulations." The MC shook each of our hands. He handed each of us a golden, circular medal that hung off a red ribbon. When I took it in my hands, I saw that the border was a vine with leaves on it. The middle showed a large flower, and layered over it was a couple dancing together.

"And this is a special prize for you, Princess Elizabeth." I was given another item. It was a weird looking piece of neck clothing. At least I think it was. It had a circular opening at the top and two tails of fabric hung out from it. A red ruby shined in the middle of it.

"Congratulations!" the MC said again. "To the winners of this dance competition!" The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts.

I was still trying to figure out what the clothing item was. "What the heck is this thing?" I asked, turning the item around in my hands.

"It's a choker!" I heard Kip exclaim as he flew over towards me.

"Huh?! Excuse me? A-a what?!" I looked at Kip with wide eyes.

"A choker!" he said again. "It's a clothing item you put on your neck."

"Oh…" I giggled nervously. "That's what you mean by choker…"

"Alright, settle down please. I have one more announcement to make." The MC said and the cheering died down. "The King has requested you make your way towards Waltz Castle for a feast. So please head towards the exit with your partner. Thank you all for coming!"

There was one last round of applause and the huge crowd of people got up from their seats. It took a while for Luciano and I to come out since everyone there was trying to get out all at once. Everyone was muttering to themselves about the competition and the upcoming feast.

"That was great, wasn't it?" I smiled and looked over to Luciano, but he just nodded and continued walking.

I thought back to the dance competition.

"_What did you think of my dancing?"_

"_It was… Beautiful…"_

I felt my face get red when I remembered Luciano saying that to me. _Did he really think that? No… He probably said that because I danced better than I did in practice… But was he really complimenting my dancing… Or…. Me?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And that's it! I don't know if it's just me, but the end kinda sounded weird... Your thoughts? Anyway, thanks for reading! :D****


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